The present invention relates to an image production device that allows display of the imaging date and time, recording time period and so forth of images in association with a period display that represents a certain period. The present invention also relates to a processing method in the device, and a program for driving a computer to execute the method.
In recent years, in addition to conventional video cameras using detachable videotapes, video cameras that record moving images in media such as a DVD and hard disk have been spreading. These media permit random access thereto unlike conventional videotape media. In a video camera using a videotape, reproduction of an intended scene frequently requires fast-forwarding and fast-rewinding, and therefore it takes a long time period to watch the intended scene. On the contrary, in a video camera that employs a randomly-accessible medium, contents can be reproduced without fast-forwarding and fast-rewinding, which are required in conventional video cameras using videotapes.
Furthermore, videotape-type cameras do not have an index that displays contents of moving images. In contrast, video cameras employing a randomly-accessible medium typically have an index using thumbnails, which offers convenience for selecting a scene to be reproduced. In an index of moving images recorded in a randomly-accessible memory, as many thumbnails as there are scenes or files are displayed as representative pictures of the moving images, e.g., by six pictures per one page. A technique is proposed in which screen display is switched upon selection of a thumbnail, and information on the recording date and time, recording time period and so forth of the still or moving image corresponding to the selected thumbnail is represented, and in reproduction of a moving image, information on how long time has passed since the scene had been reproduced before is represented (refer to e.g. Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 2001-69456, shown in FIG. 14).
However, in this conventional technique, the total imaging time period and recorded volume per each scene cannot be found. In addition, the frequency and date-and-time transition of imaging cannot be found. In particular, in order to find the imaging time period of one scene, the scene needs to be reproduced until the last of the scene. Moreover, there is no way of finding the frequency and date-and-time transition of recording.
Therefore, it is desirable, in the present invention, to display the total imaging time period and recorded volume of each image in association with the imaging date and time of the image.